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Conservation Commission 11/19/2025

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(Episode Description is AI generated and may be errors in accuracy)

Permitting near water isn’t just paperwork; it’s where engineering, ecology, and neighborhood life meet. We take you inside a fast-moving conservation meeting where bridges, trail links, and new homes are shaped by field walks, agency feedback, and the unglamorous details that keep wetlands working.

We start with quick votes on past hearings and shift into the big lift: a culvert replacement at Pine Street over Bassett Brook. Stakes are in, Marine Fisheries has weighed in, and construction is queued for dry conditions to minimize turbidity and habitat disruption. We unpack phasing, dewatering contingencies, and a key condition—if the Army Corps or engineers change the design, the team comes back to the table. That simple loop protects the brook and keeps the approval aligned with real-world constraints.

Next, we review a Riverwalk minor modification where limits of work are redrawn to pull development back from resource areas. You’ll hear how slope tweaks and retaining walls reduce buffer impacts, and why a gentle, stone-dust path to a kayak access can open the river to people without inviting erosion. We hold the vote to allow a site walk, because decisions should rest on ground truth, not just color lines on a plan.

We also open two single-family filings on Cypress Way and double down on the 25‑foot no‑touch zone. Permanent placards, selective post‑and‑rail segments, and clear erosion controls set a boundary that lasts longer than a season. We touch on deed references and certificates of compliance, so protections follow the property, not just the current owner. Finally, we tidy up our process by renaming a confusing “consultant review fee” to “bylaw review fee,” making the town’s software, accounting, and regulations sing from the same sheet.

If you care about clean streams, flood resilience, and building the right projects the right way, this walkthrough offers a candid look at how local conservation actually works—fast where it can be, careful where it must be, always anchored in the field. Subscribe, share this episode with a neighbor who loves local trails, and leave a review to help more people discover how small decisions protect big waters.

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Copyright RAYCAM INC. 2025

SPEAKER_02:

Evening ladies and gentlemen, sorry about the delay. I'd like to call the November 19th meeting of the Rainb Conservation Commission to order. Please be advised all these meetings are recorded.

SPEAKER_06:

All public hearings and meetings held occurred by the Rainbow Conservation Commission on Winter, November 19th, 2025, at 5 30 p.m. in the Reign Veterans Memorial Town Hall. Donwell McKinnon Meeting, 558 South Main Street Ranger, are relative to filings and joint hearings and/or meetings under Massachusetts General Law 131 Section 40 as amended in the town of Rainham wetland protection bylaw.

SPEAKER_02:

Very good. First on tonight is notice of intent for Zero Wilbur Street. Last meeting we closed. So we need a vote on issuing.

SPEAKER_06:

I will second that motion. Condition for issue the order of conditions from Zero Welbow Street, Map 1, lot 97AD P two six nine ten seventy-three.

SPEAKER_05:

I will second that motion.

SPEAKER_02:

Motion being seconded. All in favor? Aye. Aye. Opposed? Okay, next up is um three twenty nine King Street. Last meeting we closed the hearing. We um need a motion to issue.

SPEAKER_06:

But this there was an executive order on this one, right? Yes, there's a first one.

SPEAKER_02:

So we'll have to close that first, right? No, we closed everything last meeting. We closed all the the hearing on it. Yep.

SPEAKER_10:

Um we're gonna submit updated plan.

SPEAKER_02:

And she has them right there.

unknown:

Yep.

SPEAKER_11:

So that's the plan that you're gonna build your order on. Yep.

unknown:

And the second pattern is still 10.

SPEAKER_02:

So and I'm sorry for what?

SPEAKER_00:

May I go look at this file right here that says the King Street cloud?

SPEAKER_02:

Yep.

SPEAKER_11:

Yeah, the rest the restoration plan value is the same.

SPEAKER_00:

I didn't want you to forget about it.

SPEAKER_11:

Yeah, no.

unknown:

Yes.

SPEAKER_11:

You have all the stuff together, Mr. Chinese.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, we do have the restoration plan. Well, attach better plans. Yeah, that's keeping together. Yep. Okay, um, so we're voting to um order um issue and order of conditions. We have uh special conditions on this, which would be um the ballot for one year. Okay. Yeah. Work's gonna be done within a year, yeah. And um signage, which is gonna go up and around. Okay.

SPEAKER_10:

Um we also talked about a rail fence.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, that's part of the signage. Yeah, yeah. What are the two items? Well, signage on the rail fence. That's included in the plan.

SPEAKER_05:

So um I'll take a motion then to take action on those intent for A29 King Street, D E P number two six nine-1077, wetland uh I take patient. With the special conditions of special conditions that we're requiring that needs to be done within the year.

SPEAKER_02:

Okay, motion made. Second, second, all in favor. Aye. I appointed next up is a um continued abbreviation notice of resource area delineation for seventeen forty six Broadway DEP two six six six six six nine ten eighty.

SPEAKER_00:

Um for the last meeting, we went, we walked the line, we reviewed everything on the site, and I don't believe there was any concerns with the flags as they were presented. Uh the hole that we did was filled. Um, so that has been alleviated.

SPEAKER_02:

Okay. Uh me and Bill went out to a sidewalk last Thursday, Friday. Um, all the flags look good. Uh you have any concerns? No. Uh sound taken. Um so just we need to approve the or the line the resource area elimination.

SPEAKER_06:

Okay.

SPEAKER_10:

Uh the elimination is accurate.

SPEAKER_06:

Uh motion to uh agree with the um wetland um identification as marked on the plan for the abbreviated notice resource area delineation. Uh 1746 Broadway 269 1080. I will second that.

SPEAKER_02:

Motion made second, all in favor, and aye, opposed, and second.

SPEAKER_00:

Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you. Off I go.

SPEAKER_05:

I think this has been the longest, quickest meeting we've had.

SPEAKER_10:

I will start a threat bill before we got yet. But I will need to leave a MCAS. Okay. All right. Sure.

SPEAKER_02:

All right, so I'm just gonna keep moving. All right. Uh next up is continued notice of intent for the Pine Street Culvert bridge over Bassock Brook, uh, DP 269-1078.

SPEAKER_01:

Go ahead, sir. Mr. Chairman, members of the commission, thank you for having me. Uh where we had left off at our last hearing, the site was going to be staked out with the limits of all the improvements so that the commission could conduct a site walk, see the impacts on the ground. Uh those stakes are in place. I'm not sure if you had a chance to see them yet, but I did drive by the site this afternoon. They're still there in case anyone uh wants to get back out there. We also heard back from Division of Marine Fisheries. Uh, they emailed myself and Amy indicating that they didn't have any additional comments or uh feel that there need to be any design changes or additional protection measures during construction other than the standard erosion and sedimentation control measures that we would implement. Yep. So I don't have any new information uh unless the commission has questions or things that they would like to discuss.

SPEAKER_02:

No, I looked at the stakes, everything looks good. Um we did get the original question from marine fisheries, whatever, and then we got the rebuttal today, and they're all set with it. Um, you have any questions? No, didn't we get okay? Anyone in the audience have any questions? No, we need to close it down.

SPEAKER_01:

Um Windows construction plan on so we still need to wrap up our Army Corps permitting. Um so construction likely wouldn't begin until the spring at this point. Uh I would just add, as far as construction phasing, they are gonna go out there and take three additional borings uh in the wall location before they start. It's all within the area that we're requesting permission, so it's you know, not an expansion of the work area, but just so that if you get a call that says, hey, they're out there, you know, with a boring rig. Uh and Sid and Norm, so my colleague Sid, are still working with the abutters to wrap up the right-of-way. I know none of them are here tonight, but there was some discussion at the last meeting about that.

SPEAKER_02:

With with fishing games or fisheries comments, um you will try to do it during a dry, doing the actual crossing and that's the goal.

SPEAKER_01:

During the dry period. Yeah, absolutely. So the plans include measures for dewatering if it's necessary, just as a contingency, but the goal is, you know, I think for the contractor as well, they don't want to be working in the wet if they if they can avoid it. Okay.

SPEAKER_02:

All right. Uh uh yes, because there's a notice of intent tonight.

SPEAKER_06:

So I um motion to close notice of intent. Uh Pine Street, Colbert, Ridge, Uber Bassett Brook, 269, 1078. I will second that motion.

SPEAKER_02:

Motion be made to close it. Um in favor? Aye. Opposed? Unanimous. Thank you very much. Thank you. Have a nice evening.

SPEAKER_06:

We could issue.

SPEAKER_11:

Yeah, because there's no real special. That uh any change to the plan as a result of any court of NG's uh decision be uh reflected. Okay.

SPEAKER_06:

Okay. Uh motion to issue notice of intent Pine Street Cobra Bridge overpass at work. Uh order of conditions with conditions uh depending on order of conditions, uh depending on the um engineers. If they uh change the plans, we need to come back before the board.

SPEAKER_05:

I will second that.

SPEAKER_02:

Motion being seconded. All in favor? Aye, opposed?

SPEAKER_05:

Thank you.

SPEAKER_02:

Um I'm gonna keep moving here as we go. Request for a minor modification for Lockwood LLC, uh, Rain of Riverwalks, uh two six nine oh nine six five.

SPEAKER_04:

Good evening, David Eastridge for Thorndike Development. With me tonight is Louis Verone from Depreet Engineering. Uh the last hearing a couple weeks ago, uh, we presented our plans for a minor modification for the last phase of our community larkwood. At the time, the commission uh requested that we provide a let's say clear plan of the uh relative uh let's say limits of work uh between what was previously approved and what we're what we are proposing. Um so we've uh uh submitted that uh to the commission, and um uh here it is uh right here. The on this plan, the wetlands line is in the dash green. A little bit of work uh that we presented when we submitted these plans is in red. And also we heard a couple weeks ago that the commission was concerned about the kind of proximity uh towards the wetlands and increasing the limit of the development towards the wetlands. So since last meeting, we took a look at it and tried to, let's say, constrict uh the development as much as possible by one. In some cases there was more, let's say uh we didn't actually need the development, we could have taken up our slopes a little bit and walls. So uh through that process, we're able to move a little bit of developments of this blue line here. So between two weeks ago and today we come through this red line this blue line. The red line is the uh the limited development that was improved as part of the last time. So that's uh that's the C full sense of the false Strong. Okay, good. So um it was requested that we stay out of the rear corners of some of the same primary buildings of the start. So we stay out of the rear corners of these four buildings and two edges. I think uh unfortunately, even though we had a mistake, we didn't communicate that it was all done until uh just yesterday. So um yeah, um that could pose a problem. Um I sent some pictures because a lot of them in this area is kind of our construction stage area and uh materials, uh sorry, so that sort of thing. So some of them are actually kind of behind those. That's why I sent the pictures just so you can help uh navigate uh out there in the field. Um so that's where we stand, but I recognize that you might not have been able to put your eyes on it uh as of the end. Okay.

SPEAKER_02:

I do have one question on the bottom there and the figure that goes out. Yes, the very bottom.

SPEAKER_04:

What's the purpose of that? So uh the uh so this commission previously approved a network of trails and a kayak launch um on the top on the Taunton River. So this is this is one of the connection points to that trail network. So the purpose of this is to really uh provide for a more gentle slope so that you could walk down there with a kayak and kind of get to and from, okay, as opposed to having you know a three to one slope that people are going to slip down and that sort of thing. So so that's that's what these walls are for. They just kind of flank it so that you can have a little bit more of a let's say 12 to 1 as opposed to a 3 to 1 to get down to that trail network.

SPEAKER_02:

So is it is it grassed, is it tied? What is it?

SPEAKER_04:

This will be um no, this will not this will not be paved. Uh this will be a uh uh like a stone dust, uh stone dust walk. All right. And the these trails are definitely kind of thickly wood chipped, um, is their is their nature. Okay.

unknown:

All right.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, unfortunately, because I only got the email today and the stakes are out. Uh we're gonna have to continue this.

SPEAKER_04:

That's fair.

SPEAKER_02:

Um, so we can get out there and actually see where things are. To see where we're at here with this.

SPEAKER_04:

Okay. I will I will I want to make note that uh so the brown line as shown on this plan reflects our limit of development uh for the plans that Thorndyke proposed uh last time and were approved last time. Uh we purchased this property from Dan Andrade, who had an approval three, four years ago, and his limit of development was actually farther out than that. So what you'll see in the field, you'll see these states in the field, and the sill fence is actually behind it, and that sill fence was from the original original limit of development. So I didn't want you to get out there and say, hey, what the heck these guys have filled farther than their limit of development? That's what was there when we started. So um uh, anyways, just just to help explain what uh what you'll see when you're out there. Um and and again, mine that you see out there uh was blocked and left when we formed like started on the project. So when we first came and got our button, we put up there and I said that's why is that state? Why is that state? That's not what our point should. So um all right, well okay. Yep. So um request to continuance. What's the data? December. December. December third.

SPEAKER_05:

Okay, very good. Thank you. Motion uh motion to continue uh request for my modification i put LRTC DP level 3690965. I hope you may stretch it.

SPEAKER_04:

Well it it was it was the back of the point that you know right there.

unknown:

But you can get it by the choice of the show. Oh, yeah. Yeah, okay. So open them one at the time, okay?

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, but here's bigger for one. We'll start with number five, okay. All right, up is first up is a um goes to the tent for what number sector is that? Twenty.

SPEAKER_06:

Fifty-five five? What five?

SPEAKER_02:

Okay. I have addresses here, but what's the uh it's what fifty-five five, it's uh forty.

SPEAKER_06:

Forty. Is that the one you have in your hand? Fifty-five-five, yeah. Okay, as provided by the Massachusetts General Law, Chapter 131, Section 40, is and the Rainham Conservation Commission will hold a public hearing on application for West Pine Estates LLC. For notice of intent, located at Lot 5, Cypress Way, Rainham Mass. The property is owned by West Pine Estates and is shown on as partial 55-5 on the Rainham Assessors Map. 13, 0 Cypress Way, FKA Mia Circle. The hearing will be held Wednesday, November 19, 2025, at 5 30 p.m. in the Rainham Town Hall, located at 558 South Main Street, Rainham. Copies of the NOI and plan may be reviewed at the RRCC office during normal business hours at the Rainham Town Hall.

SPEAKER_09:

All right. All right, thank you, Mr. Chairman, members of the board. Evan Watson, W engineering, representing West Pine State's LLC.

SPEAKER_08:

Also with me is Lee Castingetti, West Pine State's LLD of Monthill Homes. So this is at the end of the little cul-de-sac as you come into the project. You take a left, there's a small little cul-de-sac right there, Cypress Way. And this is the lot as you come down on the left. And the house is going to face the cul de sac. And we do have our 25-foot no touch zone that we're adhering to. But this particular lot is probably the tightest lot on the whole project. So I did propose a split post-real fence along that 25-foot no touch zone. That's not it.

SPEAKER_09:

And we haven't received a file number yet.

SPEAKER_02:

No, so we can't close on anything. Alright. No sign uh signage. With the placard, yeah. Yeah. With no work beyond this point.

SPEAKER_06:

Do you want to continue it around the back of the house? Where Russian control? Do you want to have the post and fence go all the way around?

SPEAKER_08:

Well at 25 foot no touch goes far away. So we're only about 50 feet at the limit of work right now. Okay. So that's why I didn't bring the fence all the way around.

SPEAKER_02:

But once again, I would like to see.

SPEAKER_09:

We could do signs at the 25 foot.

SPEAKER_02:

At the 25 foot no touch signage. Right. Yeah, that's fine. Because if not, you know what they're gonna do. They're gonna push their grass back, put a pool in, and then we're gonna be back here. Alright.

SPEAKER_09:

Um quick question on the signs. Do you guys have placards? I know some communities have placards that No, we just we have it in our website, you know, just a sample, okay.

SPEAKER_06:

As long as it's not paper.

SPEAKER_07:

That's right. Yeah, it's gotta be a permanent markup. Um I saw have some at my house. I'll take them off. We know where you live.

SPEAKER_02:

Um, correct me if I can ask this or not. Um, because I know we've had problems around town recently with this issue. Can we reflect that they record that in the deed that no work will be on the Yeah?

SPEAKER_11:

So the uh it says that in the in the oral conditions and that there were issuance of certificate of compliance.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, perpetuated remain in place. Okay. All right. All right, anybody in the audience? Any comments?

SPEAKER_11:

Except for Lee.

SPEAKER_06:

All right. We have no choice, we gotta close it, right? Yeah, we should like to close it. We just have to. Oh, we don't have a PP. Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_09:

I'm sorry. So that's for continuance to the next year.

SPEAKER_05:

Um motion good. Motion to continue uh 20 Cypress Way, uh proposed single family? 40, sorry. 40, I'm sorry. Motion to approve um continue 40 Cypress Way, single family home.

SPEAKER_02:

Oh December to December 3rd, December 3rd. Second, second, motion made second in all in favor?

SPEAKER_05:

Aye, opposed, and we've got a little fuzzy there for a second.

SPEAKER_02:

All right, next up will be um did we just do 40? We did 40. Yep. Next up is 20 Cyprus Way, um, notice for intent.

SPEAKER_05:

You want me to read this? Yes. Alrighty. This is for West Pine Estates, Watt 4, and here is legal notice as provided in the Massachusetts General Law. Chapter 141, Section 40, the Rhenium Conservation Commission for the public hearing on the application of West Pine Estate LLC for a notice of intent. Located at Watt 4, Cypress Way, Rhanium Mass. Properties owned by West Pine State LLC, and it's shown us the parcel 55-4.

SPEAKER_08:

Oh, sorry.

SPEAKER_05:

No worries. On the Rhanium assessors map. 13 CO Cypress Way-FK Mia Circle. The hearing will be held on Wednesday, November 19, 2025, 530 p.m. at the Rainham Town Hop. Located 58 South Main Street Ringham NASA 02767. It's copies of the NOI in point maybe at the RCC office during its normal business hours at Rainham Town Hop. The RCC may be contacted by calling 508-824-2706. All of the persons are encouraged to attend the public meetings. Town Iranian Conservation Commission.

SPEAKER_08:

Thank you once again, Evan Watson, W Engineering, this is lot four. So it's the next lot over. It's on the corner of Spruce and Cypress Way. So facing Cypress Way, and in the rear of the lot, it goes up considerably. This is the cemetery that's back here. And then it's the same wetland. This is lot five, and then continues around and keeps getting farther and farther away from area working everywhere. So we're not between, I'd say about 40 feet from the wetlands to the nearest on the limit of work there, where it full's erosion control. And we show the grading. Again, municipal water and sewer to create the driveway into the roadway drainage system. Pretty simple, but we don't have any questions you guys have.

SPEAKER_02:

Once again, I'm just gonna answer the same thing. You know, just as far away, so you don't need post and rail, but just signage with a 25-mode touch all the way down the bottom from the edge of property. All the way down across the list? Yeah, just along the button line, 25-minute touch. That's that's pretty straightforward. Yeah, you said the cemetery, I can't remember. Is the cemetery the next lot behind you? Or is it on the property?

SPEAKER_06:

So it's property, yeah.

SPEAKER_08:

Oh, it's this one over here, so yeah. Okay. Yeah, so this goes up to elevation 787, so it goes way up.

SPEAKER_06:

I couldn't remember where.

SPEAKER_02:

Alright, anybody any questions? No. I don't think we have any one. December 3rd?

SPEAKER_06:

Yes, please. Uh motion to continue notice of the 10th, 25 to 29.

unknown:

All in favor.

SPEAKER_02:

Opposed? Yes. All right, thank you.

unknown:

Thank you to them. Thank you. Thank you. And great Thanksgiving in between. Thank you. Oh my goodness.

SPEAKER_02:

All right, um informal. Um we had some discussion with the town of county on um a language change to um our fee schedules. So has your wallet to take it?

SPEAKER_11:

Uh that's a problem. I don't buy that. Um so basically what happened is as part of the filing requirement, uh, we have a line item cost for consultant review fee. But that has caused over time confusion for the applicant as well as some of the applicants. As you said, hey, we wanted an independent peer review. So we should you should change that instead of consultant review fee, change that name to say initial review filing fee. So put it in the file. Yes. So keep it so that it's consistent with what yeah, I forgot all about that. It's so that it's consistent with the categorization. That way, so in the what I want to suggest that it's in the by in the regulations, because that's what the only way that plays, it's not in the bylaw itself. So any regulations are on the website to change that. So instead of saying consultant review fee, call it bylaw review fee. Okay, then that so that if you need an independent of a consultant to review stuff or additional review fees, then it's not it's not subject to 53G account setup. As a consultant review fee, you have to set up a 53G account where you put that money in, and but that's that when it first started, that was not the intent of the of that fee. The intent was to have it so that the CONCOM's budget's not always being cast for reviews. Does that make any sense to you?

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, and this all came up because the town has changed software, yeah, and the software doesn't recognize the language we were using. Okay. So to bring it up so that the town accountant can process it. What we do into the right accounts, we need to do the language change of um, what did you say, bylaw?

SPEAKER_11:

So that instead of consultant by law review. But this says consultant fee. Well that's what it is tonight.

SPEAKER_02:

But that's what it is now. We need to change it to bylaw.

unknown:

Okay.

SPEAKER_11:

So say bylaw review fee.

SPEAKER_02:

So you need a motion or a vote? Yes, I need a motion.

SPEAKER_06:

A motion to change the schedule consultant fee and our regulations to schedule a uh bylaw review fee. I will second that.

SPEAKER_02:

Don, did you get that good? Okay. Motion been made and seconded. All in favor? Aye, opposed, unanimous. All right. Um, did everyone get a chance to review the dates for our upcoming meetings from January on to June?

SPEAKER_06:

Yeah. Motion to accept.

SPEAKER_02:

I will second that move. Motion been made and seconded to accept uh meeting dates for right. Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_06:

All right, so let's hold off a second then. So we should do the 10th, okay? That's the middle of the month.

SPEAKER_05:

Yeah, I would recommend that. Okay.

SPEAKER_02:

All right, so um let's change the motion to uh accept the dates as posted with the exception of changing June's to the 10th. I will second that.

SPEAKER_06:

And we have to do July. No, we don't, right? No.

unknown:

Okay.

SPEAKER_02:

Second. Motion made seconded. All in favor? Aye. Opposed? Unanimous. Okay, um everyone get a chance to review the minutes from November 5th.

SPEAKER_06:

Motion to accept.

SPEAKER_11:

Um, I'm gonna have to abstain. That was not here at the last meeting. No, but you can secondly put up the vote, and then when it goes to the vote, you can abstain. Okay. So you can uh uh second it for subscribe. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02:

Motion made seconded. Second all in favor of uh the minutes? Aye. Aye. Abstain. Okay.

SPEAKER_11:

So it's eleven past. We'll pretty much done. So yeah, you thank you.

unknown:

I guess we don't have time to sign this.

SPEAKER_11:

Sounds good to me. A wise guy. Thank you, you too.

SPEAKER_02:

Okay. The erosion control for the um tower on North Main Street has been completed. Um so if somebody wants to go out and confirm it, I can even handle that. Alrighty, I'll leave that to you then. I'll walk across the street. Walk across the street, take the park for a walk. Uh this time I have no site scheduled. Uh I think we're good. Yeah, I think we're good, because we got quite a bit of stuff coming up, don't we?

SPEAKER_05:

I think it's possible.

SPEAKER_06:

Huh? Oh, okay. Can we make that decision on the third? Yeah, we can, yeah.

SPEAKER_02:

Oh, I thought we had some other stuff on the board.

unknown:

Okay.

SPEAKER_02:

We we'll revisit the third if we want to do the same thing.

SPEAKER_08:

Yeah, on the third.

SPEAKER_02:

Okay. On the third. Alright, uh that's it. Second? Okay, second all in favor. Aye. Opposed?